Automatic electric starter for internal combustion engines



Aprfl 1%, 1933. F, GUETTNER, JR 1,903,761

AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC STARTER FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed April14, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l A ril 18, 1933. FJGUETTNER, JR

AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC STARTER FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed April14. 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 gwvmtoz ugfinemdz P ssed Apr. 13, 1933 PATENToFncE FRANK GUEMNER, m, SHXHER, Taxes AUTOMTIG ELECTRIC STARTER FORINTERNAL CQMBUSTIOH mom Application. tiled April 14, 1981. florist Kilo,530,664.

This invention relates to electric starters for motor vehicles.

The primary object of the present invention is provide an electricsystem which forms a pert oi the'normel system of the motor vehicle, andwhich automatically con trols the starting motor of the internalcombustion engine in such s manner that upon the closing of the switchof the ignition systern the starting motor switch will he outcmaticsllyclosed to start the starting motor and the engine. In the event of thestopping of the engine the ignition switch must first be opened and thenagain closed in order to operate the system for e second ste'rting ofthe motoru A further ohject of the invention is to pro vide a, startingmotor control mechanism which is of simple design and which may hereadily and inexpensively installed in e" niotor vehicle, I

The invention will he l'oest understood from a consideration of thefollowing detailed de scription taken in connection with thesccompanying drawings forming pert of this specification, with theunderstanding, however, that the invention is not confined to any strictconformity with the showing of the drawings hut may he changed ormodified so long as such changes or modifications mark no materialdeparture from the salient feetures oi the invention as expressed in thappended claims. 7 y

In the drewings:

Figure 1 shows the circuit lay-out for the ignition system of aninternal combustion engine and the mechanism embodying the presentinvention.

Figure 2 is a view in top plan of the autometic control device formingit part of the present invention,

Figure 3 is s View inside elevation of the device shown in Figure 2. s

Figure l is a view in end elevation of the automatic control device.

Figure 5 is a, View, partly in section and partly in elevation of theelectric starter switch structure forming a part of the presentinvention.

Referring now more particularly to the drswings, wherein like numeralsof reference indicste corresponding ports throu bout the several views,the description will first be confined to the circuit is -out shown inFigplugs oi which ere indicated by the nnmersls 6o 2. These plugs areconnected in. the usual with s distrihntor 3, which is conone side ofthe ignitionswitch the The en ine operated generator is indicstso edconventionslly 6, while the starting mo tor for the engine is indicatedby the numeral 7. The vehicle hetter which is indiceted by the numerei sis connected with the starter motor 'T! by the wire in which are theusual to two spaced contacts 10 which are connected for the starting oithe motor '5 by the switch her ll of the starter switch, which is hereindicated generally by the numersl 12. The present stsrter switch is ofnovel construc- 7 tion as the switch her or hlede thereof is carried bys movshle core 13 about which is wound s coil is, The ends of thestories switch coil is are connected, with the hind ing posts 15 and 16end the post 15 has con 8t nection with the deed side of the ignitionswitch, through the medium of the wire 17 The live side of the ignitionswitch is connested with the negative pole of the battery 8 by the wire18, the opposite or positive side of the battery being grounded, as at19, in the usuel menner.

interposed between the generstor 6 and the battery 8 is the automaticcontrol device indicated generally icy the numeral 26, which operates assoon as the generator sterts to produce a substantial flow of currentout down the iiow of current throu h the starting switch 12 o that thisswitch will be opened and the operation of the starter motordiscontinued. This device further operates, as will be hereinafter morefully described, to prevent the reclosing of the starter switch 12 inthe event that the motor stops.

The automatic control device comprises a manner time,

"said resistance coil the starting coil to such an extent that theenergy of this coil is no longer sufiicient to overcome the action ofthe spring 51 to which the core 13 is attached and the starting switchwill thus be opened. At the same the energized coil 23 will exert anattractive force upon the armature 25 as well as the coil 22 so thatshould the engine 1 cease to operate from any cause the current flowingthrough the magnet 23 will continue to hold the armature 25 down eventhough the magnet 22 has become de-energlzed. It will thus be seen thatin order to again close the starting switch 12, the operator of themachine must open-the ignition switch lso as to de-energize the magnet23 and release the armature 25 and then again close the ignition switchso that the full amount of current from the battery will pass throughthe starting switch coil and directly to the ground.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. In an internal combustion engine starting system a starting motor,agenerator, a storage battery an electrical connection between thebattery and the motor, an ignition switch connected at one side with thebattery, a normally open switch including a contact bridging armcontrolling the electrical con.- nection of the battery with the motor,an electromagnet including a coil and an armature having a coreextending through the coil and carrying said arm and having one sideconnected with the dead side of the ignition switch and having the otherside grounded, a resistance coil, means interposed between the saidother side of the first coil and the ground, actuated by the currentfrom the generator, for connecting in series with said first mentionedcoil, to reduce the flow of current through the latter to a point whereit becomes ineffective to maintain the second mentioned switch closed,and means actuated by current from the generator for operating saidconnecting means, said resistance coil constituting the coil of anelectromagnet which when energized maintains said means operative afterthe discontinuance of the flow of cur rent from the generator.

2. In an internal combustion engine start ing system, an electric motor,agenerator, a battery, an electric connection between the battery andthe motor, an ignition switch connected at one side with the battery, aswitch controlling the flow of current from the battery to the motor andincluding a movable arm, an electromagnet including a coil and anarmature carrying a core loosely extending through the coil, said corecarrying said switch arm at one end, electric connecting means betweenone side of said coil and the dead side of said ignition sw'tch, asecond electromagnet having a coil, an electrical conof the coil thereofnection between one end of the coil of the second magnet and saidenerator to receive current therefrom the ot er end of the last coilbeing grounded, an armature actuated by said second magnet, anelectrical connection between one end of said last armature and theother end of said first magnet coil, a contact normally engaged by theother end of said last armature, said contact being grounded, theengagement of said last armature with said contact being broken upon theative position.

t"). In an-internal combustion engine starting system, an electricmotor, a generator, a battery, an electric connection between thebattery and the motor, an ignition switch connected at one side with thebattery, a switch controlling the flow of current from the battery tothe motor and including a movable arm, an electromagnet including a coiland an armature carrying a core loosely extending through the coil, saidcore carrying said switch arm at one end, electric connecting meansbetween one side of said coil and the dead side of said ignition switch,a second electromagnet having a coil, electrical connection between oneend of the coil of the second magnet and said generator to receivecurrent therefrom, theother end of the last coil being grounded, anarmature actuated by said second magnet, an electrical connectionbetween one end of said last armature and the other end of said firstmagnet coil, a contact normally engaged by the other end of said lastarmature, said contact being grounded, the engagement of said lastarmature with said contact being broken upon the energization of thesecond electromagnet, a second contact, and a third electromagnet havinga coil and a core and having the core thereof arranged for attractingsaid last armature and having electrical connection between one end ofthe coil and said second contact and having the other end of the coilthereof grounded, said third electromagnet having the coil thereofconnected through the second mentioned contact with the second armature,when the latter is shifted by the second electromagnet, to place thecoil thereof incircuit with the coil of the first magnet, said thirdelectromagnet maintaining control of the second armature after deenerization of the second electromagnet.

4. 11 an internal combustion engine startting system, a starting motor,a generator, a storage battery, an electrical connection between thebatter and the motor, an ignition switch connecte at one side with thebattery, 5 a normally open electric current conductin line between thebattery and the motor an including a pair of spaced contacts, anelectro-magnet including a coil and an armature carrying a core, saidarmature bridging and being designed to connect said contacts and saidcoil having one side electrically connected with the other side of saidswitch, a pair of electro-magnet coils disposed in side by siderelation, an armature mounted to overlie said pair of coils to beshifted thereby, one end of the last armature being shiitable, a pair ofcontacts between which the shiftable end ofsaid last armature is locatedand with one of which it normally contacts, one of said pair of coilshaving one end electrically connected with the generator and having itsother end grounded, the other of the pair of coils being electricallconnected at one end with the contact of w ich the said last armature isnormally free and having its other end grounded, a grounded connectionwith the other of the pair of contacts with which the last armature isnormally engaged and an electrical connection betweenthe said lastarmature and the other side of the first mentioned magnet coil, the saidother one of the pair of coils offering sufiicient resistance to theflow of current therethrough from the first magnet coil, when the lastarmature is attracted by the pair of coils and is engage ing thegrounded contact to make ineffectual the abillty of the first coil tohold the contact bridging arm in operative position.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature.

FRANK GUETTNER, JR.

